Lace-tip.



No. 718,052. PAATENTBD JAN. e, 1903.

' G. A.GETTY @L L. H. LEMLEY.

, LAGE TIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1902.

No MOD'JL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. GETTY AND LOUIE H. LEMLEY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

LACE-TIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,052, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed March 11, 1902. Serial No. 97,786. (No model.)

'[o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. GETTY and LOUIE H. LEMLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Lace-Tip, of which the following is a specification.

` Shoe-laces as ordinarily constructed have tips which are so insecurely fastened that 1o they Very often slip 0E, to the great annoyance of the wearer on account of the inconvenience of threading a lace without such tip. When such an accident has taken place, the usual custom hasbeen to replace the old lace r 5 with a new one; but this, besides the expense, takes considerable time, and it often happens that the wearer does not have one at hand. The present invention relates to tips, and is especially designed to overcome the above zo difficulties by providingasimple article which may be applied to a lace by a person unskilled in the manufacture of the same, thereby being especially useful .to the public at large, as it may be quickly applied when the origiz5 nal tip has been lost. Furthermore, it may be readily removed from an old or worn-out lace and secured upon a new one.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying draw- 3o ings andfdescribed in the following speciication.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe-lace end, showing the improved tip secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

3 5 on a greatly-enlarged scale, of one side of the itip, showing the cylindrical sections partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the other side. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View showing the sections in coacting position.

4o Fig. 5 is a similar cross-sectional view when the tip is opened.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

45 The construction shown is intended, prij marily, for shoe-laces; but it will be apparent that it may be employed in connection with various other fiexible devices having tipsas, for instance, belt-laces and the like. The

. 5o illustrations in the accompanying drawings have been made on a greatly-enlarged scale in order to clearly illustrate the structure. As shown, the tip comprises two semicylindrical sections and 11, said sections each having along one of their side edges spaced eyes 12, that are alined with the eyes of the other section, a pivot-pin 13 passing through said alined eyes, whereby a longitudinal articulated hinge-joint is formed, which permits the separation of the two sections, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The section 10 is provided contiguous to its free edge with a socket in the form of a longitudinally-disposed groove 14, and the coacting edge of the other section 11 has a projection in the form of an inturned holding flange or ledge 15, that detachably engages in the groove 14, whereby the two sections are locked in coacting relation and constitute an open-ended cylindrical structure in which the end of the lace is received. Said lace is held against displacement by a pair of inwardly-projecting teeth 16, which teeth are located at one end of the tip and are arranged to engage the lace, as will be readily understood.

The manner of applying the device is as follows: Should the original tip of a lace become lost or displaced from said lace, it is only necessary in order to apply the improved device to separate the sections 10 and 11, as shown in Fig. 5, and place the end of the lace therebetween. The sections are then closed about the said lace, whereupon the holdingflange 15 will spring into the groove 14, and at the same time the teeth 16 will bite into the lace. As a result the tip will be securely held in place, and should it be desired to remo veit the sections need only be again sprung apart, as will be obvious. By this structure it will be apparent that a simple article is provided which may be readily applied by any person and when so applied is securely held in place.

From the foregoing it is thought that the constructiomoperation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in -the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction roo may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Havingthus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tip of the class described, comprising coacting semicylindrical sections connected by a longitudinally-disposed hinge-joint and forming when in coacting relation, a cylinder having a substantially smooth outer face.

2. A tip of the class described, comprising` coacting semicylindrical sections connected by a longitudinally-disposed hinged joint, and inwardly-projecting teeth carried by the sections.

3. A tip of the class described, comprising coacting semicylindrical sections connected by a longitudinally-disposed hinge-joint, said sections when in coacting relation forming a cylinder 'having a substantially smooth outer face, and means for securing the free edges of the sections together.

4. A tip of the class described, comprising` coacting semicylindrical sections, connected by a longitudinally-disposed hinge-joint, one of the sections being provided contiguous to its free edge with a socket, the other section having a projection tting in the socket, said sections When in coacting relation forming a cylinder having a substantially smooth outer face.

5. A tip of the class described comprising semicylindrical sections connected by a longitudinally-disposed hinge-joint, one of the sections having a longitudinal groove contignous to its free edge, the other section having' a terminal inturned iange that engages in the groove, whereby the sections are secured together, said sections when secured together forming a cylinder having` a smooth outer face, and an inwardly-projecting spur located at one end of each section.

6. A tip of the class described, comprising a series of longitudinally -hinged sections forming when assembled a cylindrical structure having a substantially smooth outer face and arranged to encircle a shoe-lace or the like.

7. A tip ofthe class described, comprising sections longitudinally hinged together, and means for securing the free edges of the sections together, said means comprising a detachable and interlocking joint, the sections when secured together forming a tubular body having a substantially smooth outer face.

8. A tip of the class described, comprising a series of longitudinallyhinged sections forming when assembled a cylindrical structure having a smooth outer face and to encircle a shoe-lace or the like, said sections being provided with inturned teeth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. GETTY. LOUIE H. LEMLEY.

Witnesses:

BENTON B. LooMIs, WALTER E. DE GROSS. 

